This invention relates to a snowmobile and more particularly to a rear or drive belt suspension system for snowmobiles.
As is well known, the drive belt of a snowmobile is normally suspended relative to the frame assembly by a suspension system that includes at least one shock absorber and spring arrangement. Frequently, the shock absorber and spring arrangement is adjustably mounted so that the damping characteristics could be varied to some extent to compensate for changes in loading and/or individual riding preferences.
Normally, the way this is accomplished is that one end of the shock absorber and spring arrangement has a connection to the frame assembly that is provided by an adjustable pivot pin. With this type of arrangement, the cushioning unit has an opening that receives a cross-bolt that spans the side rails of the frame and which permit adjustment of the position of the end of the cushioning unit relative to the side rail. Since there are a pair of side rails, one at each side of the drive belt, the connection at each side must be adjusted.
This means that an operator must place himself on one side of the snowmobile, detachably connect with one of the connections, move around to the other side and then detachably connect that connection, move it to a new location, and then lock it in place. The operator must then go back to the other side and finish the connection at that side. Obviously, this is a cumbersome operation. Furthermore, the connection is low in the area where the drive belt engages the ground and thus can frequently become encrusted with snow and ice.
Furthermore, this type of adjustment also requires adjustment to be made in such a manner that the weight of the snowmobile is not totally borne by the shock absorber and hence the operator must either load the shock absorber element, hold the body up, or both in order to complete the adjustment.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for adjusting the suspension system of a drive belt of a snowmobile.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a drive belt suspension arrangement for a snowmobile that embodies a cushioning element and a connection in the loading mechanism that permits ease of adjustment and which does not require the operator to move from one side of the snowmobile to the other to effect the adjustment.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved adjustment mechanism for a snowmobile suspension wherein the adjustment may be made without the operator having to apply force to either compress or expend the cushioning unit when making the adjustment.